Misunderstandings ,,OLD STORY,,
by xLaramiex
Summary: M likes C. C likes M. So why aren't they doing anything...? Spoiler free.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! And welcome to kiaga and Laramie's collaborative fanfic. This first chapter was written by kiaga. Enjoy!

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The laughter of many bards fell across the room, mixing in with the sweet smells of perfumes, wines, ales, and food. It had been a relaxing evening, one filled with much joy. It was fairly warm, especially for fall, and all had forgotten their worries. Cadvan, on the other hand, had not calmed any of his feelings.

The night had started out perfectly- he had escorted Maerad to the large hall where they feasted on delightful food; mushrooms, roast pheasant garnished with basil, nuts, berries, fruit, and the best wine around. He had shared smiles with her, laughing at trivial things, he even sang with her for the other bards, their voices drifting across the room in perfect harmony. _"Why is that not enough then?"_ Cadvan asked himself, as he sat watching the dance floor. He had drunk much wine, but he knew enough to realize that Maerad was enjoying the company of another man. _"Other men," _his mind corrected.

He watched as she was twirled around the dance floor, oblivious to the scowl he carried on his face. The young man was a good dancer, easily capable of performing the lifts in the dance. It was quite apparent that Maerad did not fear this man, either. She had met him earlier that week, but had yet to introduce him. _"Stop. It is merely a dance; instead of watching, why don't you just ask her?"_ He asked himself, lifting his wine glass to his lips. He laughed at himself for the action. "_Drinking wine is such a good way of making a rational decision, Cadvan."_ He told himself sarcastically.

Lifting his gaze from the goblet, he looked back at Maerad. _"She's so beautiful." _Despite his jealousy, he smiled, grateful he could call her a friend. _"That's more than most can say,"_ his mind added. Finally, the song came to end, causing a loud applause amid the shouts for more music. Obligingly, the musicians began to play again. Cadvan set his wine down, and made his way towards Maerad. She had failed to notice him, instead taking the same young man into the new dance. Wincing, he took a deep breath. "_It had been a stupid idea anyway,"_ he thought as he turned to leave. He instantly ran into a woman he had met a long time ago. "Erin, my apologies. I'm sorry that I -"

Her face lit up, and she cut him off mid-sentence. "Light, you don't need to apologize. Would you like to dance?" she interjected, offering her hand.

Looking at the outstretched hand, he forced a smile. "Of course," he lied. Taking her hand, they began the dance. It was fairly fast paced, and against his better judgment he held her close; holding one hand while resting the other on her waist and they danced around the room. "Wait, wait; stop, Cadvan!" She laughed as she tried her best to keep up. Cadvan found this amusing, and he too laughed. Dancing even faster, he found himself smiling even more, forgetting about his troubles. Those who were not dancing were clapping the dancers along. Cadvan barely had time to take in the on-lookers; he was more concerned about not tripping over Erin, who obviously needed dance lessons. _"She has a good heart, nonetheless."_ Finally, the dance came to an end.

"Cadvan, you're a wonderful dancer. Perhaps we can dance again?" Erin begged.

"Yes, we shall," Cadvan responded gently. "But for now, I must decline your request; I'm quite tired."

Laughing, Erin agreed. "Yes, it is quite late. But I would have thought you would stay all night….have you grown too old for endless nights, bard of Lirigon?" she asked playfully.

Hearing this, he started to walk away, smile covering his face. "Me? Too old?" he called back, laughing. Erin smiled, watching him find his glass, and leave the room.

--

The air was too close, heavy with the heat of persperating bodies and the smell of alcohol; she needed to escape. Leaving the dancehall in order to find fresh air, she found a bench in a nearby corridor. Sighing, she set her glass down on the floor. "_It was a fun night," _she thought. _"I wish I didn't have to dance with Thoron. But what choice did I have? I didn't even see Cadvan once the dance started…I suppose it's not that bad; at least I spent sometime with him…" _It was true that Thoron was a handsome man. She had met him only a few days ago, but Maerad had been able to trust him fairly quickly, and they became fast friends. Her mind wandered back to the dance. _His hands holding her close, the feel of his warm breath against her neck, the thrill of being held up high during a lift_…closing her eyes, she thought of these things; but it was not Thoron she imagined, it was Cadvan. _"Why can't this be real?" _she cursed inwardly. "Why can't you be mine?" she whispered, thinking of many occasions when she thought Cadvan showed his love for her in return. "WHY?" she yelled frustrated. She was thankful for the music and noise coming from the hall as they concealed her voice easily.

She stood up and looking around, her face covered in irritation. She noticed her glass she had set down, and kicked it. The sound of the shattering glass against the floor pleased her, thankful that something else was hurting a little more than she was, even if it was a mere glass of wine. Crossing her arms, she examined the path of glass and wine. She felt like a child acting out in rage because she didn't get what she wanted. She felt anger at herself rising in her stomach, as she heard soft footsteps coming down the hallway. _"No! What am I going to do?" _she asked herself, panicking. She wouldn't be able to lie about the mess, yet she couldn't tell anyone why she was upset. She quickly assessed the situation and decided to leave the hall before the person saw her. _"I can pick it up after they leave."_

She decided to escape through an archway to her left, forgetting that the hall produced an echo. Walking as quickly as she could, she kept her eyes fixed on the other entrance. Reaching the corner she turned, running distractedly into Cadvan, who was unable to save his drink from spilling on both of them.

_To be continued..._

Oh dear, that means me, doesn't it?


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! And this chapter was brought to you by Laramie. Well, technically the last one was too, seeing as it's my account, but I didn't write that one and I did write this one. Enough babbling! On with the story!

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"Cadvan! You spilled wine on my dress!" Maerad exclaimed.

"I'm sorry!" Cadvan said, quickly putting his glass on the ground and pulling out a clean handkerchief, which he used to try and remove the stain from Maerad's elbow-length sleeve. He had a horrible feeling it would leave a stain, which would not make her very happy with him. He bowed his head in sorrow, letting his hand drop. "I'm sorry," he repeated, more quietly.

Maerad put a hand on his arm. "It's alright," she told him. "I was rushing too. And I know you didn't mean to." She waited until he had looked back up at her, his expression tentative, then kissed him on the cheek and left to go back to her room. She would put her dress out for washing right away, she thought, and change her clothes. She did not desire to return to the ball.

Cadvan turned around, a smile taking over his face, and went back into the ballroom. Immediately, Erin approached him.

"I see you have changed your mind!" she said, smiling widely.

"A beautiful woman can do that to you," he replied, realising that Maerad kissing his cheek had scrambled his head such that he had re-entered the ballroom, even though he had decided to leave. He wondered why she was blushing as he said, "Just one more dance, and then I will leave." Erin nodded, and they began to dance again. All through the dance, Cadvan wished he was away from that room, with Maerad.

As the dance ended, he smiled at his dance partner and nodded his head in farewell, before turning and leaving the room. Climbing the stairs, he grinned again as he thought of Maerad kissing his cheek earlier.

His hand was on the doorknob before he became aware of the fact that he had made his way to Maerad's room and not his own. He removed his hand and fled down the corridor to his own room.

--

The next morning, Cadvan woke early. He wished he had asked Maerad to dance.

He decided to go for a walk, and got dressed. He walked along the high street gloomily, then cheered up as he saw Maerad walking along the same street. He followed her like a devoted puppy, not realising what he was doing. He saw her enter the pet shop, and entered too. He saw her tickling the nose of a black kitten, which raised one paw and batted at her hand. He saw her giggle, and walked over to her, his heart swooping.

"Hello, Maerad," he said with a smile. "How nice it is to see you here, I must say. How are you this morning?"

"Hello, Cadvan! I am fine, thank you. And you? I hope this morning finds you well."

"It finds me very well, thank you."

"Good. Well, I must be going. I only came in to see this little guy." She chucked the kitten under the chin, and turned to leave. "Goodbye," she said.

"Goodbye, Maerad," Cadvan replied.

"What can I get you, sir?"

--

Cadvan left the pet shop with a rabbit.

How did he let himself do this?! But if he hadn't bought anything it would have been glaringly obvious that he liked Maerad. But what was he going to do with the pale brown rabbit sitting in the cage in his hand?! He sighed sharply in annoyance, and leaned back against the wall of one of the shops. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. After a minute, he heard one of the many sets of footsteps making their way past him stop a few feet away from him. He opened his eyes.

"Why, hello!" It was Erin. She tucked a strand of her shoulder-length blonde hair behind her ear before continuing. "How are you today?"

"I am fine, thank you, Erin," Cadvan replied, pushing off the wall to stand up properly. "And you?"

"I'm great." She took a few steps closer to him and hooked her arm through his. "I'm still thinking about last night," she told him, with a shy smile. "I really enjoyed it. That was mainly down to you." She blushed a little.

"Well, thank you," Cadavn replied, still wondering what on earth he was going to do with the little rabbit. "I enjoyed myself too."

"Erm, can I ask you something, Cadvan?"

"Of course you can, go ahead."

"Why are you carrying a rabbit?"

"Erm…I…Erm…I…It's…for…" And idea occurred to him. "It's for you!"

"For me?"

Cadvan congratulated himself on his spur-of-the-moment idea, then congratulated himself again as Erin grinned and threw her arms around him - obviously it had been a good idea.

"Thank you," Erin said as she drew away, her eyes shining.

"That's alright." _I wasn't even thinking of you,_ he added a little guiltily to himself.

Erin looked more closely at the young rabbit sat snuffling in the cage, its nose twitching. "I can't believe it! You remembered! I said last night, just in passing, I said I loved brown rabbits, and this morning you come straight out and bought me one! Oh, Cadvan, thank you so much!" She put her arms around him again and hugged him tightly. Cadvan responded a little awkwardly; he wasn't used to people being so dramatic in their affections, plus he felt as though he had won it under false pretences.

Erin picked up the rabbit's cage. "I have to go now. I'll see you soon."

Cadvan nodded, then was surprised as she kissed his cheek.

He rubbed it a little irritably. Maerad had kissed him there.

-tags kiaga- your go!


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter was written by kiaga. Doesn't it rock? I love it :)

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Cadvan found himself pacing about the garden long after dark. The previous day had been eventful, to say the least, but he was no step closer to revealing his feelings to Maerad than he had been beforehand. His pride wouldn't admit it, but secretly it hurt. Erin would pay attention to him, and not Maerad. He hadn't even really known Erin that long, and yet he'd been traveling with Maerad for what seemed like eternity, and she felt nothing. "_Nothing," _his mind repeated.

Kicking the dirt, he quickly found a stone to sit on. _"I cannot go on like this. I have to tell her. Perhaps tomorrow, when she is alone…" _his thoughts trailed off. He reached up and covered his face with his hands; he didn't want anyone to see the silent tears that were falling down his face.

The next day came fast, and although Cadvan had spent much of the night planning out how he would tell her, he realized that he didn't know what Maerad would be doing. Cursing his lack of forethought, he searched about until he found her, once again in the market. Smiling, he followed behind her. He often lost track of where she went, because of the large amount of people strolling between them. Once again, he found himself trying to remain calm so no one would think him odd. He panicked once, not finding Maerad for sometime, until she reappeared out front of him a few minutes later.

They continued this process for some time until Maerad ducked into a shop. _"Go talk to her!" _his mind screamed. Hurrying towards the shop, he opened the door.

"_Just lovely,"_ his mind joked sarcastically. It was a lingerie shop. Embarrassed, he slammed the door quickly before anyone noticed he had entered. Taking a deep breath, he walked on.

He found a post to lean against, while he waited for Maerad to come back outside. Impatient, he crossed his arms. Maerad still didn't come out. _"What is she doing?!"_

Just as the thought occurred to him, the door to the shop opened, and Maerad appeared with a bag in her hand. He eyed it, wondering what….rather _why_ she had bought something in that shop. Unable to solve the mystery without asking, he shook the thought off. He was standing to the right of the shop, watching her as she looked in the bag and smiled, before turning in his direction. "_By the light!"_

If he didn't move, she would run straight into him. Looking around he realized the street was far to crowded for him to escape through it. He remembered the post he was leaning against and the shop it belonged to. Thankful, he disappeared through the door. Turning, he realized he had entered a jewelry shop. "Welcome sir! Can I help you find something?"

"I…uh…" Cadvan stuttered.

As he spoke, the door opened and Maerad stepped inside. "Cadvan? What are you doing here?" she asked, a smile forming on her face.

Cadvan's heart was beating so fast he thought it would jump out of his chest. His hands had begun shaking slightly but he hid them. "Well, I was just shopping, and…decided…to come in here," he answered, gesturing around him.

"In a jewelry shop?" Maerad folded her arms, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. In fact, I was just talking to this man about a particular piece I thought a woman I knew would love," he said, turning to the jeweler, giving him a look telling him to go along with it.

The jeweler just smiled. "It's a lovely piece, no doubt," he told them both.

Maerad looked quizzically between the two men. Something wasn't quite right. "Really? Mind if I see?"

Cadvan smiled, and walked over to the display case, followed closely by Maerad. _"Which one? Quick, pick one!"_

He looked around; there were so many things, all beautiful in their own right. "Well?" he heard Maerad ask.

"Guess," he found himself answer automatically.

Maerad turned her attention to the layout of rings in front of her. _"Why would Cadvan be looking at rings?"_ She found her attention caught by one in particular; a silver band with small inlaid diamonds. It was simple, yet beautiful. "I don't know…that one?" she said pointing.

"_It worked!" _his mind yelled triumphantly. "By the light Maerad! Out of all these rings, how did you know that was the one I picked?"

Maerad shrugged. "Luck I guess."

He smiled, and asked the jeweler to take it from the case. "I have a feeling she'll like it," he smiled, gazing at Maerad.

Maerad attempted a smile, but couldn't find the will. "I have to go, Cadvan. I'll see you later!" she said, running from the shop. Confused, he saw the jeweler hold out his hand. Realizing he would have to buy the ring regardless, Cadvan gave the jeweler a look before handing over the remaining money in his pocket.

He left the shop, and decided to just return to his room so he wouldn't get into more problems. He would be safe there, and wouldn't have to deal with anyone; he could actually think about a course of action to take there.

Almost reaching the bardhouse, he heard someone call out from behind him. Turning, he found that it was Erin. "Cadvan!" she said, running over and giving him a hug. "Thank you for the rabbit. He's beautiful!" she exclaimed, nearly squeezing all the air out of Cadvan's lungs.

He smiled as politely as possible, and tried to loosen himself from her grip. "You're more than welcome," he answered, feeling like a complete fake.

As he escaped from her hug, the small velvet box containing the ring fell from his hand onto the ground. Seeing it fall, he quickly snatched it up, but not before Erin saw it. Her face instantly lit up. "What is that for?" she asked, her eyes wide.

As he brushed the dirt and grass off the box, he looked up at her. "For the woman I love," he began. "I just don't know how to tell her it's for her..."

Erin cut him off. "Cadvan! For the woman you love…I…I don't know what to say!"

He smiled uneasily at her. "Do you think she'll like it?" he asked uncertainly, revealing the ring inside. "I want her to marry me," he added. "I'm going to tell her tomorrow..." he added almost to himself.

Erin's face was dripping with joy, as she reached out and took the ring. "Yes. It's a beautiful ring. And I'm sure you have no reason to fear her answer when you ask," she said, slipping the ring onto her finger.

Cadvan smiled. "Thank you, Erin. Could I have the ring back now, please?"

"Of course," Erin replied, her eyes shining. "It will be so special tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

_Written by me, Laramie. I was going to upload this yesterday but ff was being evil._

The next morning, Cadvan awoke an hour after daybreak. There was a fair in the afternoon. He had been screwing up his courage to ask Maerad all week, and had still not managed to. He got up and dressed, before crossing the hall to Maerad's room and knocking.

"Come in," he heard, and entered. Maerad was sat at her table, brushing her hair. Cadvan stopped next to her and smiled nervously.

"Good morning, Maerad," he said. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to the fair with me this afternoon."

Maerad turned a broad smile to him. "I would like that very much," she replied.

Cadvan hovered for a few seconds, feeling awkward, then kissed Maerad on the cheek and beat a hasty retreat.

Getting back to his room a giddy grin spread across Cadvan's face before he squashed it. He was looking forward to that afternoon.

At lunch, Maerad and Cadvan met up and ate together. They spoke a little about what would be at the fair, and then when they had finished eating Cadvan took Maerad's hand and they walked the half-mile to where it was being held. There were donkey rides for children held on a field, and many stalls and games both in the field and in the streets surrounding it. They went first to a roasted chestnut stall, and watched a short, plump, balding man cook them. Cadvan watched the fire dancing in Maerad's eyes, and thought that it belonged there.

They left the heat of the fire and continued on down the street in the sunshine, a bag of scalding chestnuts clutched between them. Seeing a catch-the-fish stall, Maerad paused and pointed it out to Cadvan, who nodded. They approached it, and Cadvan gave the stallholder his money. The man gave them a short wooden rod and Maerad proceeded to try and catch one of the wooden fish, floating aimlessly around the raised shallow pool. They were brightly painted in unnatural colours: red, yellow, blue and orange. Maerad caught a green one and lifted it high, until the stallholder returned and revealed the number "1" underneath.

"That's a bag of chocolate," he told them with a smile, giving a bag to Maerad. She opened it to reveal six or seven little chocolates, wrapped up with little twists of blue paper. Taking one herself, Maerad offered the bag to Cadvan. He just shook his head.

"You have them," he said. "You're sweet enough for both of us."

Maerad blushed and giggled, and Cadvan took her arm again as they continued down the street.

"How glad I am, for I have my beautiful girl on my arm, and the sun at my head, and I am drowning in the fortunes of the day! How glad I am, for my beautiful girl is the kindest to live, I shall not let her die, in the misfortunes of a broken day!" Cadvan cried, quoting a famous poem.

Maerad grinned at him and he grinned back. They both felt incredibly light-hearted.

"Oh, look, a coconut shy!" Cadvan said, pointing. "Let's have a go."

"Well, _you_ can!" Maerad replied, giggling again. She couldn't seem to stop it today!

The smile refused to leave her face as she watched Cadvan successfully complete the game and turn to her with a broad grin. She cheered and clapped her hands a few times, neither of them caring that they were receiving several disapproving looks for being too loud.

Cadvan swept her up in his arms, lifting her high and spinning her around, then settled her gently back onto the ground, looking into her eyes the whole time. As Maerad's feet touched the ground, Cadvan left his hands on her hips and continued gazing at her. After a moment or two, he screwed up his courage and kissed her, amazed and delighted as he felt her kiss him back. He was about to deepen the kiss when a voice surprised him into breaking away.

"I hope you have a good explanation for why you are kissing another woman on the day you said you would propose to me." It was Erin. Her voice was angry, disapproving and scared.

Cadvan tore his eyes away from Maerad to look at Erin. "What do you…?"

"How long have you been with her?" Erin asked coldly.

"I…" Cadvan began, bemused.

"You've been leading me on?" Maerad asked quietly, and Cadvan's eyes flew to her.

"No, Maerad, I swear, I haven't. I would never - _could never -_ do that to you."

"But you told her you'd propose to her."

"I didn't!"

"Cadvan," Maerad said coldly, looking him straight in the eye. "Stop lying." The two words were clear and precise and they nearly broke Cadvan's heart. At a loss for what to do, and turned back to Erin.

"You said you'd propose to me today, and when I see you I find that you're kissing another woman. I can't say I'm surprised. I always thought you loved her, but I thought you'd got over her. You said you loved me. You called me beautiful." Erin's voice broke on the last word, and she turned her back on Cadvan, leaving him staring, open-mouthed at her retreating back.

"I never want to speak to you again," Maerad told Cadvan. The words hit him like a slap in the face.

"What?" he managed.

"You led me on. You made me think we might have a chance. But all this time, you loved Erin." She turned, and added over her shoulder; "Don't try to contact me."

Cadvan was left alone in the gathering dark, desperately wondering how it had got to this.

_A/N: yes, I made up the poem myself._

_Review please!_

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	5. Chapter 5

_Aren't you lucky! A mega-long finale!_

_This chapter is dedicated to Aqua-Lily, who's going away for a while : (_

_It was written by both kiaga and me, in differing parts…If you really wanna know who did what, ask, but I'm working on the assumption that nobody cares. Am I right?_

_Anyway, I'll shut up so you can read._

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A few days later found Maerad in bed, suffering from a headache and random bouts of dizziness. She had made good on her word and had not spoken to Cadvan in this time, and it was killing her.

_Why, Cadvan?_ she kept asking herself. She had been stuck here in her room, distraught that he had done such a thing, that he didn't really love her. It made her sick to know he had lied to her. _Such is my luck. My best friend, the man I__'__ve fallen in love with loves someone else…is getting MARRIED to someone else._

She decided she needed to go eat something; it would take her mind off Cadvan, and occupy her with something else. Perhaps it would settle her stomach as well. Getting up, she quickly dressed and made her way down the hallway. The high arches were built with stunning beauty and she was so lost in watching their curving forms that she ran into Erin, who was walking in front of her.

"Excuse me," Maerad said politely as she could. "I didn't see you there."

Erin shot her a look that made Maerad step back. "Perhaps you should watch where you tread, Maerad."

Maerad glared back at Erin. "And what is that supposed to mean, Erin? I'm sorry that Cadvan didn't tell me he loved you, alright?" Maerad finished, moving to walk around Erin when she held out her arm.

"You don't understand, Maerad. He bought me all these gifts, danced with me, told me things that only someone in love would say, and then I find him kissing you…of course I'm going to be upset!"

Maerad shook her head. "Talk to him about it, it's no longer a concern of mine; I haven't talked to him since it happened," Maerad stated, leaving Erin standing there in the hallway.

Before she arrived at the kitchen, Maerad suddenly felt queasy, and stumbled. Her vision blurred and the room span around her as she sank slowly to the ground.

"Ca…" her voice trailed off as darkness claimed her.

--

Sound was the first thing to reach Maerad. She could hear low voices close by, though not what they said. She was so hot… She opened her eyes and saw that she was in her own room, and that the voices were coming from Silvia and a Healer she didn't know. The Healer was a tall man with dark hair, and for a second she thought it was Cadvan - but when she saw it wasn't her heart sank.

Despite what he had done, she still loved him with all her heart.

"Mmph…?" she muttered, trying to sit up. Silvia and the Healer turned to see that she was awake, then approached her.

"How are you feeling?" Silvia asked, taking her hand.

"My head hurts. And I feel sick; it's too hot in here. What…What happened?"

"You collapsed close to the kitchen. You have a fever. You're really not well."

"I'm fine, look!" Maerad cried, attempting to get up, but as she reached her feet her legs gave way underneath her, and it was only the Healer grabbing hold of her that stopped her toppling to the floor. Black bubbles burst on her vision so that she could barely see, but as the Healer laid her back onto her bed her vision cleared.

"You must stay in bed," he said sternly. "My name is Tondar. ((A/N: Did I steal that name from someone?)) You're very weak."

"What's wrong with me?" Maerad asked worriedly, leaning gratefully back into her cushions.

"We're not sure," Tondar replied hesitantly. "We're incubating the fever, which is why it is so hot in here, since you asked. We are trying to sweat it out of you."

"You should be fine in a few hours," Silvia continued, but she didn't sound convinced. Maerad laid her head back and desperately tried not to think about Cadvan. She wanted more than anything to talk to him, but he had broken her heart and she felt she could no longer trust him.

"If Cadvan comes, do not let him in," she said quietly. Maerad tried not to cry, and closed her eyes as Silvia and Tondar retreated to the other side of the room.

The odd word from their conversation reached Maerad's ears.

"Very ill…not sure what…broken-hearted…"

_Of course I'm broken-hearted,_ Maerad thought bitterly. _The man I love thinks so little of me he thinks it fine to lead me on even though he is getting married to someone else._

She could not stop the tears now, but Silvia and Tondar had left the room and she was alone as the tears slipped down her cheeks.

They stopped only as she slipped into sleep.

--

The day after this, although he knew nothing of Maerad's condition, Cadvan decided that enough time had elapsed for him to visit Maerad and attempt to explain himself. If he had known of her condition, he would have been at her side in an instant, because Maerad had not truly woken since her brief awakening the day before; instead she had been caught in a state of painful half-sleep, shuddering violently for all the while.

As he approached her door, he was concerned to see Silvia standing outside. Why did she not move?

"Silvia? Is something amiss?" he asked.

"Maerad is not feeling well," Silvia replied. "She is sleeping now, and is not to be disturbed."

"Will she be quite alright?" Cadvan asked, his worry conveyed in his voice.

"There is a Healer tending to her," Silvia told him, not quite answering the question put to her.

Cadvan nodded distractedly, and left.

Silvia knew little of what had transpired between the two of them, but it was obvious that Cadvan had upset Maerad.

Her actions were in deference to Maerad's feelings, but Silvia did not know that by keeping the knowledge of Cadvan's visit from her, Maerad's heart was breaking further. She was ill, and still he could not think to visit. Although she could not bear to see him, it was all she craved that he might come. She was aware of ever less as the hours passed, but every sense was alert for a sign of him.

The afternoon of the day after Maerad's collapse, her condition took a turn for the worse. Her temperature was well above what it should be - though perhaps one would expect that as they continued to incubate her fever. She was sweating and nauseous, shaking with fever and throwing about her head as though plagued by nightmares.

Had she been alert enough to hear, what the Healer said on the evening of that day would have perturbed her. Had Cadvan been allowed in to hear, he would have taken her in his arms and sobbed.

As it was, only Silvia heard him proclaim, "I do not know what to do. I think it is some rare disease I have not seen. Perhaps another Healer might know something, but the only other Healer around will be gone for another month or more, and I think by then it might very well be too late."

--

The day following this, Cadvan returned to try and visit Maerad, but again found Silvia standing outside.

"Silvia, has she not improved?" he asked, too concerned to make a greeting.

"I fear that she has worsened, and the Healer does not know what troubles her," Silvia said, her resolve weakened by worry. "He thinks it may be a rare disease. He thought the other Healer might know of it, but he will not return for a month." Cadvan could here the catch of tears in her voice.

"Please, I know some rare diseases from my travels, might I take a look at her?"

"She said you were not to be allowed in. I know not what you have done, Cadvan of Lirigon, but I know that you have hurt her deeply and I feel it is my duty to keep you from hurting her more." As Cadvan made to cut in, she continued quickly. "However, if any would know this disease, it is you."

"Thank you," Cadvan replied with relief, entering quickly.

His stomach dropped like a stone as he saw her, looking so helpless and vulnerable on the bed, thrashing about her head and shaking violently. He put a hand to her forehead and felt that she was burning up.

"How long as she been like this?"

"She collapsed yesterday, but her condition has worsened to this only in the last few hours. Do you know what it is?"

"I think I have seen this before, though only once. If I am right, to incubate the fever is the worst thing that could be done, and instead we must cool her down as fast as possible. Quickly, I need ice, as much as you can find."

Silvia nodded and left the room quickly, whilst Cadvan rushed to the window and opened them wide, then returned to Maerad's side and took off the blanket, taking off the coat she wore and undoing the top button of her blouse. He took her hand and said, "Maerad. Maerad, I'm here. I'm so sorry."

Maerad managed to rouse herself to crack open one eye and as she spied him, she sighed. "You came," she said, on the brink of tears. "You came."

"Shhh, Maerad," he soothed quietly. "We'll soon get you sorted out."

As he spoke, Silvia returned, with two others at her side, all three of them carrying large buckets of ice.

"Quickly, put it about her. We must lower her temperature at once." The others did as he bid them, as Cadvan continued to clasp her hand. He felt he would never let go, if it were possible. "She should begin to cool down quickly, and then she will fit, and we must keep her temperature low or…" He swallowed instead of finishing his sentence.

There were a tense few minutes of silence, in which time the two girls who had accompanied Silvia slipped away, and Cadvan and Silvia watched Maerad anxiously.

All at once, her shaking increased until tremors racked her whole body, and she gasped for breath. Cadvan bit his lip and clutched her hand until his fingers were white with the pressure. There were no more than two minutes of this until Maerad went deathly still. Cadvan stood abruptly, his eyes wide. "Oh, no, my darling. This is not good at all." He laid his hand on her chest and felt, to his relief, and faint heartbeat, but Maerad was not breathing. "Silvia, I need some belladonna, as quickly as possible."

"Belladonna? But Cadvan, that is dreadfully poisonous, are you sure? More than a drop would kill her."

"I am certain, Silvia, and the more you delay the more danger she is in, so please, make haste." Silvia nodded and fled the room, and Cadvan tried not to weep with fear. He kept his hand on her chest so as to console himself with her heartbeat, but he could feel it growing weaker.

Later than he would have liked, though really it was a matter of minutes, Silvia returned with the requested bottle of belladonna and quickly gave it to him. The bottle was small, as such bottles are, and as Cadvan removed the lid he saw the dropper. One drop he put into Maerad's mouth, and returned his hand to her chest to feel her heart. After two minutes had passed and there had been no change, he unscrewed the lid of the bottle again.

"Cadvan, you can't, you'll poison her."

"But if I don't, she will die anyway. I must try." And with that, he put one more drop into her mouth.

There was no response for a long moment, and then Maerad took a long, deep breath, and Cadvan felt her heartbeat increase in strength and breathed a long sigh. "She will be fine," Cadvan said, and kissed her hand.

Maerad's eyes flickered open. They focused on Cadvan and widened in surprise. She could not decide if she were more pleased or sorry to see him.

An image on Erin's face swam into her view and she turned away from Cadvan. "I said I didn't want to see you," she said.

"Maerad, let me ex-"

"No," she interrupted. "I saw what occurred, Cadvan. You have nothing to explain." She heard him leave the room, and suspected that Silvia had taken him.

"Maerad," Silvia said, taking Maerad's hand. "How are you feeling?" she asked tenderly, as Maerad turned to face her. "I'm not feeling myself. I've been having the strangest nightmares.

She felt like she was lying to herself. She had told Cadvan she didn't want to speak with him, but in all reality, she needed to talk to him. It would probably help her get rid of the pang inside her heart every time she thought of him.

"Have you spoken to Cadvan at all, Silvia?" Maerad asked, trying not to seem conspicuous.

Silvia sat down, wrapping her hands around a warm mug of tea. "I have. He's been very upset lately," Silvia replied.

Maerad just nodded, glancing outside the windows at the flower gardens that lay outside them. "Why do you ask?" Silvia probed, knowing there had to be a reason behind it.

"I…I was just wondering, that's all," Maerad replied, forcing a smile. Silvia wasn't taking it.

"He speaks of you, Maerad. Of how he has hurt you, and…other things," Silvia began uncertainly.

"Silvia I know this. Cadvan lied to me; he made me believe that he might actually have feelings for me when in reality he was using me…" Maerad retorted, hurt by the anger she showed to Silvia. She quickly buried her face in her hands.

"Lied to you? Maerad, by the Light, what are you talking about?" Silvia asked, taking Maerad's hands into her own. "If he doesn't love you, then I don't know who does."

"What?" Maerad asked, blinking her tears away.

"Of course he loves you! Perhaps even too much. And you must know that he would never hurt you intentionally."

Maerad wanted more than anything to believe Silvia, but after what had transpired, she found it hard to. "I just don't know Silvia. I need to talk with him," Maerad whispered.

"Then go; he should be in his room," Silvia said, ushering her off.

--

For the longest time, Maerad stood out front of Cadvan's door, hand raised to knock. She didn't know what she'd say, or how he would react, but she knew she had to speak with him; this tension between the two of them was beginning to become too much for her to bear; it was literally making her sick.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked upon the wooden door, its sound reverberating off the stone walls of the hallway. She managed to hear papers shuffling, and eventually footsteps padded across the floor, towards the door. As she lowered her hand, he opened the door, and seemed stunned to see Maerad. "Maerad?!" he said uncertainly. "What...What are you doing here?" he asked.

Staring at the ground, Maerad gathered up her courage. "There seems to be bad blood between us, which is something that…we must discuss," she ended.

Staring at her for a moment, Cadvan shook his head. "Yes…yes of course, come in," he said, walking back into his room, leaving the door ajar for Maerad. She closed the door, and leaned against it as it latched shut.

"Cadvan, I need to know the truth."

He turned and looked at her, a pained expression washing across his face. "I've told you the truth, and yet you refuse to believe me."

"Why would Erin lie Cadvan? She has nothing to gain from saying that you were supposed to propose to her!" Maerad began, before Cadvan cut her off.

"Why would I lie?!" Cadvan yelled, jumping her. He bit his lip, before continuing in a softer voice. "Why would I lie to someone that I love, Maerad? Someone who I want with all my heart to be mine?"

Maerad stood stunned as the silence between them grew. "I would never lie to you Maerad," Cadvan stated, looking at her sadly, wishing he hadn't yelled

Maerad opened her mouth to speak but she found no words. "It is you I love, Maerad, not Erin."

Closing her mouth, Maerad studied his face, trying to decipher whether or not he was lying. "Then why did she say those things?" she asked lightly.

"Because…it was my own cowardice that led us to this mess," Cadvan trailed off, turning his back to Maerad. He leaned on his arms, which gripped the back of his chair. "I wanted to tell you of my feelings ever since the dance, I just didn't know how. And then every time I wanted to, Erin would appear, and I couldn't bring myself to hurt her feelings. She is a nice girl. But that's all she is, Maerad. Nothing more. I did not mean to encourage her, nor to make her believe, as it seems she did, that I loved her."

Maerad didn't know how to react to his confession, other than standing still, awestruck. He continued on, oblivious to the guilt Maerad felt at calling him a liar. "When you found me in that shop, Maerad," he said turning to see her face. "When you found me there, I had been…following you," he said embarrassed, which caused Maerad to smile lightly. "I wanted to talk, but I didn't have the courage, and then I escaped your notice by going in there, until you followed me," he said, his cheeks flushed a bright red.

He stepped closer to Maerad, causing her breath to escape her lungs. "It would've been perfect you see," he whispered, mere inches from her, and she felt like he had stolen her breath away. "You picked a ring you liked, and I was going to get it for you, but you ran off, and that is when things became awkward between us," he finished, still staring into her deep blue eyes.

"I…" Maerad began. "For me?" she laughed lightly. "A ring for me?"

"Yes Maerad, for you, my love," he said taking her hands. "Will you accept my apology?"

Maerad shook her head. "Of course, Cadvan. Only if you accept mine…"

Cadvan looked at her mischievously. "Under one condition," he stated, confusing Maerad. "Only if you accept this ring," he said, sliding the ring onto her finger. "As a token of my love."

Maerad smiled. "It is very beautiful," she murmured, gazing at it.

"Just like you," Cadvan replied sincerely. "Maerad, I'm sick of hiding my true feelings. And that is that I love you, and this ring will serve as a promise and a reminder of that love, and show you that I haven't ever lied to you." He was staring at her face, eager and yet nervous to hear her response.

Maerad stared down at her hand, the ring gleaming with beauty. Looking back up, she met his gaze. "You shouldn't give me this," she said.

Cadvan lowered his head in defeat. _It was stupid to think she could love me now._

Maerad took her hand and raised his chin, smiling brightly. "Your word is enough," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. He found himself shocked at first, but quickly gave in to her kiss, and they stayed there, wrapped in each other's arms until Silvia pounded on his door. "Cadvan, you're wanted!"

Maerad smiled at Cadvan. "Well?" she asked playfully.

"After you, my lady," Cadvan said, as they left the room leaning against each other, jubilant that they finally understood one another.

* * *

_Yay! I hope you know, Aqua-Lily, that I stayed up until gone midnight finishing this._

_Though that's more to do with my determination to finish it while I had the inspiration than anything else..._

_anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and I hope you, Aqua-Lily, have a good time : ) We'll miss you._

**_Here ends the fanfiction of Kiaga and Laramie, aka Kimberly and Alice respectively._**


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